La Rochelle stood in solidarity with an emotional Lions side following the sudden death of their team-mate Hyron Andrews.

Jack O'Donoghue is the only active Munster player who featured in their 2016/17 season, when Anthony Foley passed away. Ten years on, he still felt the wave of emotion as they defeated Racing 92 in Europe once more.

Munster got their Investec Champions Cup campaign off to a winning start thanks to a 33-25 win over Racing 92 in Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Saturday night.

Connacht produced a scintillating display to claim a famous victory over Saracens on a thrilling evening in Galway.

Connacht boss Stuart Lancaster believes that his side's thrilling 45-36 Champions Cup victory over Saracens was the perfect response to a heavy defeat to Glasgow in last week's United Rugby Championship clash.

Read how it all unfolded as Munster eventually got the job done on what was an emotional night at Páirc Úí Chaoimh.

Leinster produced a fine second-half display to record a bonus-point 48-23 win against a limited Clermont side at Stade Marcel-Michelin.

Henry Walker scored two first-half tries as Ulster opened their Challenge Cup campaign with a 40-21 bonus-point victory away at Pool 1 rivals Zebre.

Live updates of Connacht's Champions Cup opener against three-time champions Saracens at the Dexcom Stadium

The action as it happened in Leinster's Champions Cup opener in Clermont-Ferrand, where Leo Cullen's side took on the three-time finalists

For six seasons in a row, the Investec Champions Cup has been residing in France, and it's hard to see it leaving any time soon.

The opening round of this season's Investec Champions Cup has been rocked by tragedy, after the sudden death of a player for the South African Lions, ahead of their meeting with La Rochelle on Saturday.

Leo Cullen believes Joey Carbery has come back to Leinster a "more mature person", as the out-half prepares to mark his return to his home province this afternoon.

RTÉ rugby analyst Donal Lenihan agrees with Ronan O'Gara that Munster's home game against Racing 92 should have been in Limerick in recognition of the 10th anniversary of Anthony Foley's passing but he understands the province's rationale for fixing it for Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

Two new changes have been made to the tournament rules for this year, both of which will apply specifically to the pool stages.

Joey Carbery is in line to make his Leinster comeback in Saturday's Investec Champions Cup clash with Clermont Auvergne in France.

Munster and Ireland second-row Edwin Edogbo has signed a new two-year contract with the province and the IRFU that will see him remain in red until 2029.

All four of the provinces are in action on a busy Saturday in the opening week of the Investec Champions and Challenge Cups.

Stuart Lancaster insists maul defence is Connacht's number one priority after the opening three games of the season, but is hoping to see a balance between how attacking and defending teams are refereed.

The British & Irish women's squad will kickstart their 2027 tour schedule on home soil, facing France in Cardiff on Friday 27 August.

Neil Treacy is joined by Ian Keatley and former Leinster and Connacht centre Tom Daly on this week's RTÉ Rugby podcast, as we break down another mixed week for the Irish provinces in the BKT United Rugby Championship.

Ten years on from the sudden death of Anthony Foley, the list of the players and coaches left in the Munster dressingroom who played with or under the province's legendary captain is now a small one.

South Africa's 2007 World Cup winning head coach Jake White has been appointed coach of Fiji less than a year out from the next World Cup in Australia.

Having returned to their old home, the newly renamed Laya Arena, Leinster are bracing for their Champions Cup opener against Clermont

After a patchy start to the season, it's clear that Ulster's problems currently lie in the fundamentals and the basics of their forwards game.

Leinster head coach Leo Cullen wasn't getting carried away by his side's 29-5 win against Cardiff at Laya Arena, insisting the province will have to get better after what he described as a "disjointed" performance.

It's business as usual for Leinster, as they marked the grand opening of their new and improved Laya Arena with a 29-5 win against Cardiff, to get up and running in the URC this season.

In the ultimate tale of two halves, Ulster and Munster shared the spoils in a high-scoring 26-all draw at Affidea Stadium.

Leinster made it a celebratory return to the RDS, now Laya Arena, with a comfortable first win of the season

The first interprovincial matchup of the season takes place in Belfast as Ulster look to secure a first win of the season against Munster

Australia's hopes of wresting back the Bledisloe Cup for the first time in a generation were crushed in familiar fashion in a comprehensive 50-19 loss to New Zealand at Auckland's Eden Park.

Glasgow Warriors scored four maul tries as they defeated Connacht 36-19 in Scotstoun in round three of the United Rugby Championship.

Ireland head coach Scott Bemand has named a 30-player squad that will face South Africa in back-to-back WXV Global Series Tests on 24 October and 31 October.

Just over 26 months and a €52m redevelopment later, Leo Cullen's side will finally get to run out at what is now called the Laya Arena, which is expected to come close to hitting it's 20,500 capacity.

Munster, Ulster, Leinster and Connacht have all named their teams for Round 3 of the BKT United Rugby Championship.

Kick-off times, team news, TV coverage and everything else you need to know ahead of this weekend's games in the BKT United Rugby Championship.

Donal Lenihan tells RTÉ's Inside Sport that he's hopeful that Avan Lee's appointment as the Interim CEO of Munster Rugby can help the province to turn a corner after a tumultuous period.

Munster's new interim chief executive says he has already reached out to former players, including Peter O'Mahony, ahead of taking the role of CEO this month.

Neil Treacy is joined by former Munster wing Johne Murphy as we look back on the big news of the week in Irish rugby.

New Zealander Avan Lee has been appointed as interim CEO of Munster Rugby, following the resignation of chief executive Ian Flanagan las week.

Munster will be without Michael Milne, Fineen Wycherley and Diarmuid Kilgallen for Saturday's URC interpro against Ulster in Belfast, although head coach Clayton McMillan is confident of getting a couple of those players back for their Champions Cup opener against Racing 92 next week.

Former Ireland international Shannon Ikahihifo says she has come to terms with her enforced retirement from rugby, just over a year on from being diagnosed with breast cancer.

Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and Brazil have submitted a joint bid to host the Rugby World Cup in 2035, hoping to bring the quadrennial tournament to ⁠South America for the first time.

It was a United Rugby Championship weekend where Ciarán Frawley and Charlie O'Shea excelled in the out-half berth for Connacht and Munster respectively.

Leinster have been boosted by the return of scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park to training as the province seeks a first win of the BKT United Rugby Championship season this weekend.

Munster head coach Clayton McMillan doesn't believe the province's search for a new chief executive will be a distraction from his day-to-day business, as the hunt for Ian Flanagan's replacement begins.

Clayton McMillan and Craig Casey hailed a "phenomenal" performance from out-half Charlie O'Shea, as Munster ground the Bulls down for their first win of the URC season.

Charlie O'Shea announced himself to Thomond Park with a sensational performance, as the young out-half steered Munster to an impressive bonus-point win against the Bulls in Limerick.

Defending champions Leinster suffered a second successive defeat in the United Rugby Championship, falling to a 26-20 loss to the Sharks in Durban.

Ulster fought back to snatch a dramatic 33-33 draw against Glasgow with a late converted try from Juarno Augustus in a United Rugby Championship match at Scotstoun Stadium which saw five yellow cards displayed.